Obama supporters, protesters make voices heard (video)

Protesters wave their signs at passing motorists along Route 309 in Hatfield Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. President Obama was visiting a Hatfield business to talk about the "fiscal cliff." (Photo by Gene Walsh / Times Herald)

That was the vibe spread along Unionville Pike in Hatfield on Friday as President Barack Obama toured and delivered remarks at The Rodon Group manufacturing facility in Hatfield — an American manufacturer for K’NEX Brands, a construction toy company that has products including Tinkertoy, K’NEX Building Sets and Angry Bird Building Sets.

Within a half mile of each other were two very enthusiastic groups: Obama supporters and Obama protestors. While opinions diverged on Obama’s policies and way of governing our country, the two groups did have something in common — they were passionate.

Cars honked and drivers cheered as a dozen Obama supporters held signs and waved American flags at the corner of North Penn Road and Unionville Pike.

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“Last time Obama was elected we didn’t get out here to show him our support, so we’re doing it now, to show him we are here for him,” said George Walsh, Rapid Response coordinator for the United Steelworkers.

Merck steelworkers, members of the United Steelworkers Union Local 10-0086, stood proudly along the road with signs in hand that read “Gut the Cuts, Max the Tax for the Top 2%,” “Ax Bush Tax Cut for the Top 2%,” and “Steelworkers 10-0086 Welcome Obama.”

“It’s important that Obama knows organized labor is behind him,” said Walsh. “(Obama) needs our help; he can’t do it all himself.”

Walsh also continued to explain that many steelworkers like himself “want Medicare and Social Security off the table” and that “people need to pay their fair share on taxes, especially the upper class.”

Two young faces — Octavia Geiger and Amanda Taggart, both 17-year-old seniors at North Penn High School — stood toe-to-toe with the steelworkers. The girls arrived at 7 a.m., hoping to get a glimpse of the president before his speech or a way to weasel their way into the press conference.

“Both our parents and our teachers encouraged us to try and be a part of today,” said Taggart. “There was a lot of support for Obama this year at our school’s mock election.”

When asked why they are pro-Obama, Taggart said she agrees with ObamaCare and knows it will help her family, especially her mother who “has had four strokes and after all these years is still not eligible for disability.”

“Obama is supportive of in-home care, which my mom needs and will also help with her medical expenses,” she said.

Geiger also agrees with ObamaCare, which will help support her mother, who suffers from multiple sclerosis. Obama’s take on education is another topic that hit home for Geiger.

The positive mood quickly flipped less than a mile down the road as more than 30 anti-Obama demonstrators situated themselves at the intersection of Unionville and Bethlehem pikes.

“Obama is pitting the rich against the poor. He is about separating classes — blacks against whites, young against old, rich against poor. It makes me sick,” said Lori Pluda, 55, of Hatfield, who is a member of the Central Montgomery Tea Party.

Several tea party members from Montgomery, Bucks and Lehigh counties were present on Friday, yelling remarks that Obama is a communist and a liar, while others held signs that read “The 2% rich give jobs to the 98%,” “Obama has a spending problem,” and “Follow God’s Laws.” A man used a megaphone to voice statements about Obama in office.

“People think he is here to show support for the middle class, but he’s really here to bash Republicans. He doesn’t care about the middle class,” said Pluda. “Members of the tea party, we do our research, we read up on items, write letters to editors and to state representatives.”

“You know why Obama is here at Rodon right?” she questioned. “Obama is here because the Rodon president was a major campaign contributor to Obama and now he’s here because he owes him that, to say ‘thanks for helping me out.’”

A spokesperson from The Rodon Group stated that President and CEO Michael Araten “said that he and his wife contributed about $200 online.” According to the Federal Election Commission website under the name Michael Araten and K’Nex, $473 was listed as the contribution to the campaign.

While the list was endless on reasons why these community members do not support Obama, there were several that ranked high including taxes on small business, health care and use of unfunded money. Many said they thought Obama is taking away constitutional rights.

Vickie West, 51, of Telford, is strongly against ObamaCare and is in support of Docs 4 Patient Care, an organization of physicians dedicated to the preservation of the doctor-patient relationship, according to the program’s website.

“So many of these doctors are educated and skilled but can’t open their own practices,” said West. “Small business are hurting under Obama. They can’t afford the taxes and so many are willing to just take the fine because otherwise they can’t afford medical expenses for their employees.”

Jaime Faucette, president of Citizens of Constitutional Government, has strong feelings opposing Michelle Obama’s healthy kids campaign. Her son, a Pennridge High School senior, is part of the school’s food committee, and with her regulation on school foods, “it’s taking away people’s rights on what they want to eat.”

“Her decision can become an economic burden for certain schools and it’s taking away freedom of choice,” said Faucette. “For example, she is stressing that bread products need to have 51 percent whole grain in them. That means no more pizza for kids unless schools find whole grain pizza, which I’m sure will cost more money.”

Both pro- and anti-Obama individuals stood outside for several hours Friday afternoon and whether they were heckled or cheered, they all stood their ground in their beliefs.